Ibadan in History: Issues in Tradition and Modernity is a submission that honors both a city and its monarch. This book is a reaffirmation of Ibadan’s place in the pantheon of African cities with essential histories. For Oba Rashidi Ladoja, this book is a tribute in recognition of his role in sustaining the dignity and heritage of Ibadan during an era of transformation. For the readers, it is a wake-up call for their reflection on how history, tradition, and modernity combine to shape the destiny of Ibadan
“Silver and gold I have none” — Acts 3:6
ON September 24, during the coronation ceremony, I won’t donate money to the series of events. Not that I don’t have the money to give. Instead, I will give him a book to read. Just one book, spanning over 400 pages. I wrote it for this momentous occasion.
For long, Ibadan has been the epitome of Yoruba resilience, identity, culture, and transformation. A city popular for its evolving urban landscape, historical roots, and dynamic intellectual tradition. In this context, Ibadan is more than a city; it can be regarded as a cultural epicenter. In my latest coronation long lecture, Ibadan in History: Issues in Tradition and Modernity, I give an appraisal of Ibadan and its newly appointed king, His Royal Majesty, Oba Rashidi Ladoja. This book is written to commemorate the coronation of the Oba, to celebrate Ibadan’s past, and also to examine the traditions and modern realities of the city in relation to its legacy within broader African and global narratives.
Ibadan continues to be a distinct city in Nigeria in political, cultural, and philosophical matters. In the nineteenth century, Ibadan was the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa and a center for politics, trade, and military power. In one of my earlier studies on Ibadan, The Political Economy of a Pre-Colonial African State: Ibadan, 1830–1900 (1984), I analyzed the complex socio-economic structures and power dynamics that defined the city in the precolonial and colonial eras. In another book, Ibadan: Foundation, Growth and Change, 1830–1960 (2012), I assessed how Ibadan has continuously evolved through migration, warfare, and the adaptation to modernity. This new book introduces new layers of analysis, including the themes of culture, political adaptation, and the persistence of traditions in the contemporary era.
The core of this research weaves history with mythology, fact with interpretation, and tradition with modernity. This book is also structured around several themes of politics, cultures, Ibadan scholars, and Ibadan in the past and the present, and the representations of Ibadan in fiction and its misrepresentations in contemporary media. This is to remind the audience that Ibadan is not a city that can be assessed from a single perspective. The identity of the city itself is recalled from dialogues and realities, how its citizens recall its history, and how they navigate the pressures of modern governance and development. Leadership takes center stage in this project, as this book is dedicated to Oba Rashidi Ladoja. The coronation is part of a persisting culture of how Ibadan negotiates authority, legitimacy, and preservation of its culture in an ever-evolving world; therefore, it is not a casual ceremony.
In one of my articles, “The Ibadan Elite and the Search for Political Order, 1893–1939” (1992), I highlighted how a new crop of local leaders, including merchants, warriors, and professionals, sought to influence political legitimacy during the era of British colonial rule. This line of analysis can also be found in Ibadan in History: Issues in Tradition and Modernity, where I traced how different generations of Olubadan have had to reinterpret Ibadan’s traditions to retain relevance. Oba Ladoja’s reign, therefore, is not assessed in isolation but as part of a persisting culture where the Olubadan, out of necessity, have to balance tradition with the evolving demands of democracy, globalization, and urban expansion.
This book assesses Ibadan from the perspective of Ibadan’s representation in intellectualism and literature. In an essay, “Kemi Morgan and the Second Reconstruction of Ibadan History” (1991), I laid emphasis on the importance of historiography and how narratives about Ibadan were contested, reinterpreted, and reconstructed. This essay also follows a similar path by engaging with cultural productions and literary depictions of Ibadan. Chinua Achebe, Lola Shoneyin, and Bimbola Adelakun are some writers whose works have pronounced their narratives of Ibadan. These perspectives of writers are evidence of how the city’s symbolic power transcends geography. By assessing Ibadan through the lens of literature and memory, I analyzed how the city is like a canvas for the projection of tradition and modernity.
Beyond its significance in politics and literature, Ibadan also serves as a hub for the emergence of new ideas and culture. The city has produced generations of writers, artists, political philosophers, and scholars who have helped shape the Yoruba identity and also contributed to African and global thought. The University of Ibadan, famously and rightfully regarded as Nigeria’s ‘first and best’ university, is complemented by cultural grassroots as societies where old and new ideas come together. The assessment of the contribution of these institutions in this book posits that Ibadan is not just a place where history happens, but also a part in making knowledge, culture, and a modern African identity.
In this study, I also raise important questions about how Ibadan can balance its traditions with the demands of modernity, address the challenges of urban governance, preserve its culture, transform its education system, and enhance its economy. Using Ibadan as a case study to reflect broader African concerns, I have assessed how Ibadan has evolved from a nineteenth-century warrior state to a twenty-first-century metropolis, providing a basis to argue that African societies must combine their indigenous institutions with the pressures of globalization and modern statecraft. Therefore, this study is a local and global submission that speaks to indigenes of Ibadan, Nigerians, Africans, and scholars of urban history, cultural studies, and political theories across the world.
Finally, Ibadan in History: Issues in Tradition and Modernity is a submission that honors both a city and its monarch. This book is a reaffirmation of Ibadan’s place in the pantheon of African cities with essential histories. For Oba Rashidi Ladoja, this book is a tribute in recognition of his role in sustaining the dignity and heritage of Ibadan during an era of transformation. For the readers, it is a wake-up call for their reflection on how history, tradition, and modernity combine to shape the destiny of Ibadan. By spotlighting the coronation of Oba Rashidi Ladoja in this book, I ensure that this moment in Ibadan’s history is entrenched in the records of scholarship and history.
My decision to honor Oba Rashidi Ladoja with a book is unprecedented. The new king is an individual who can be regarded as a modern monarch, someone to continue the traditions of Ibadan while embodying the challenges of leading a city firmly rooted in democratic polity. His efforts at leadership will be marked as efforts to protect Ibadan’s legacy while navigating the turbulent Nigerian political realm. This he has done before, albeit as an elected governor from 2003 – 2007; therefore, questions about his leadership orientation have been answered. Following this context, this book serves as an offer of respect and an intellectual coronation to complement his traditional coronation. This study’s narrative on leadership further analyzes the kingship system in Ibadan, an evolving institution that continues to influence the city’s identity, politics, and development, rather than being viewed as an archaic relic.
In honoring Oba Ladoja with this book, I have presented a scholarly analysis, giving Ibadan a gift of remembrance. This book ensures that future generations will understand that Ibadan is not just a historical entity but a living tradition that continues to evolve in accordance with different eras. It serves as evidence that Ibadan is not just a city of the past but also that of the future. It also evidences the fact that Ibadan monarchs, scholars, institutions, and citizens all play key roles in writing its future. Ibadan in History: Issues in Tradition and Modernity will stand as a scholarly contribution and a testament of culture, to connect the throne and the classroom, the palace and the archive.